Reply #6: Pulling out is not an option

[krkaufman]

If we pull out, Iraq will spiral into civil war and ethnic warfare between the Sunnis, Kurds and Shiites -- with Turkey invading Northern Iraq if/when the Kurds get too uppity. We (the world) cannot afford to have Iraq become a Middle East version of the Balkans.

What we need to do is surrender all control of the effort, including appointment of contracts and oil management, to the UN for stewardship, and then participate -- to whatever degree the UN requires -- in stabilization.